Vending machine



April 30, 1929. H. K. LORENTZEN VENDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Jan. 8 1920 A/Vf/V 70/? W 23 y ms H770 awn April 30, 1929. H. K. LORENTZEN VENDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Jan. 8. 1920 wwtcz 1* x 61mm w Apr-i130, 1929.

H. K. LORENTZEN VENDING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 8. 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 30, 1929.

H. K. LORENTZEN VENDING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 8. 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Apr; 30, 1929.

U NITED STATES 1,711,271 PATENT OFFICE.

I HANS K. LQRENTZEN, OF NEW YORK, N. y; j

VENDING MACHINE.

Application filed January 8, 1920, Serial No. 350,170. Renewed August 26, 1927.

- My present invention relates to vending machines of the type such as are-ord narily applied to the backs of theatre chairs and the like for vending small packages of, candy, chocolate and the like.

The objects of the invention are to provide v taken'on substantially the plane of line '1313 a machine of this character which will be positive and reliable 1n act1on,relat1vely simple and inexpensive, comparatively small andv compact, durable and capable of withstanding hard usage and which, furthermore, .w1ll be properly protected against the use of spurious coins and'safeguarded agamst 11nproperaction or use thereof.

of the invention is to safeguard botli the owner of theqmachine and the public byproventing refilling or removal of the machine,

machine. H H p Figure 2 is a front view of themachine with parts removed to expose the key actuated coin releasing mechanism Figure 3 is a detail perspecti supporting bracket Figure 4 is a face yiew of the supporting plate carrying the C0111" actuated lock releasing mechanism. I a I 35 Figure 5 is a rear view of the same, wlth the levers for shiftingthe locklng shdes broken away and shown. in dotted lines.

Figure 6 is a vertical sect onal view of suchparts as taken on substantially the plane of line 6 6 of Figured and showing one of the detecting levers first in its normalposition and secondly in the position it occupies when engaged by a coin of proper thickness.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on substantially the plane of, line 7-'-7 of Figure 5 and showing positions of thesecond coin gaging lever. p "Figures 8 and 9 are detached edge and face vie s of these two levers. i

3o ve view of the Figure 10 is a brokendetail view of the kev actuated coin releasing sl de and the bracket engaging.1locking slide operated thereirom.

Figure 11 isa front view: with different parts of the wallsof the casing broken away to show the article delivery mechanism.

in this latter connection, a special object Figure l is a perspective front view of they equipped with theproper key.

sition.

the slides (Figure 11), guided at opposite sides of the vertical partition wall 121 and are confined in sliding engagement with said wall by means of the angularly turned lugs 22 at their upper ends working in the slots 23 in such partition. These slots are shown in FigurelB as open at their upper ends and as closed by'a clip 24 which forms astop limiting the outward or projecting movements of v the slides.

In the construction illustrated the package are actually supported on shelves 25 adjustablys'ecured to the slidesby screws 26-passing through slots 27 inrthe angular base ends .of such shelvesinto selected screw seats 28 in the slides. I This construction provides for the adjustment. of the machineto different lengths of packages. f

The delivery slides are projected by springs 29 engaging the angularly out-turned lower ends 30 of'the slides. These springs are furthermore utilized as a means for rocking the stop posts 31 ontheir pivots 32 toward the right in Figures 11 and 12, said springs belng'indicated as h'avlng their lower ends engaged wlth the. angularly outstanding feet 33 at the lower ends of such posts. This tip ping-of the posts causes them to operate as spring pressed pawls for holding the delivery slides in their projected position until the machine recharged by an attendant V For this purpose the lower ends of the delivery slides are formed with openings 84 to-receive the. posts when then' achinehas been unlocked by an attendant and is being recharged withfresh packages. This conditionfiis illustrated in Figure. 12." VV-hen 'thejmachine, has been which latter is indicated' in retracted pocharged andagain locked, the locking posts will stand in the position indicated in Figinto.

ure 11, Where a projecting foot portion at one edge of each post Will stand uhstan'tially in line with the adjacent edge of the open ing in the delivery slide. As the slide projected, the post is rocked to the left, 1

Figure 11, by the engagement such edge,

of opening 3% With the foot portion 35, and as the delivery slide moves outward, the post is snapped to the right so as to bring the foot portion 35 into holding engagement beneath the lower end of the delivery slide. To releuse the delivery slides so that they can he re racted, the locking posts are moved to the left, indicated in fr gure 12, by shi ing the slide 36 on which they are mounted so as to bring them again fully into register With the openings 3% in the bottoms of the delivery slides.

The box or c g 3'? of the machine is closed at the top by the doors 38 pivoted at 39 and each. censtiftu ing a closure over one ofthe delivery slides. These doors are secured closed by coin or check controlled lock mechzuiisnis nor; to he desrurihed and which zirranger to permit independent operation of either of the d ivery mechanisms.

-10, 40 in Figure 1 desigiiute two thumbknobs or lingerdrolds retutehly journaled in a cover plate ll secured over the front of the casing in. p'os' ion to cover the interior parts of the locking and tripp ng mechanism. These thiunhtnrns are freely rotatable the support 4L1 and are norm; ly entirely disconnected and free of other parts so that they may he turned at Will Without injury to any of the niechenisnis. [it the inside of the cover plate the thumb-turns are formed with-e partially circular coin pocket 42 open at the rear and also at the ed thereof so as to F-rcceive the coin or check all cdgewisc the These coi s or checks are through openirun l prrwjided thei cover plute and the parts are so designed tl tl e coins when caught in the pockets piovided therefor, will co'nstit to connecting aix'sni. 'lhese l vers are dr'isignated 4:5 and are shown in i re i as prroted at 46 inte i'nodiate their ends and is provided at their lower ends with cum surfaces d7 projecting into the paths oi? the coins on the rot: able in l'lolders so as to he actuated thereby.

At their i :er ends those levers cnrgmge Wli h the lugs eroof the locl-cing slides l9 which ere constructed with lugs r hooks 50 to en- 'with the lu 's hooks 51 carried r hetwe-en the (in er operated coin hold-' face of this supporting plate in on to he engaged by the coins in the coin pockets and the cover locking slides 49 are in- 48 on s; id locking slides projecting through to the front of the supporting plate I." m M in 1 "P in positipn to he engaged by the upper ends of levers to.

E1 the coin h position unheated at are turned from the the right in Figure at to the positien shown at the lei't in that View, the coins are held in the pockets provided therefor by means of a party circular guard flange 55. his flange also operates as a stop to prevent passage of coins of greater disnr eter than the size predetermined upon,

Additional safeguards against; the use of spurious coin are provided in the form of detectors having gage lingers 56 and 57 projecting, the first, into the rim portion of the coin path and the second, into the central portion of the coin path. The detector finger 56 in the form of an inclined cam or gage linger curved longitudinally and projecting through a slot provided therefor in the supporting plate from a lever 58 pivoted at 59 on the hack of the supporting plate. The finger 57 is in the form of a pin or stud projecting through an opening in the supporting piste from a lever 60 pivoted on the back of the plate 61 and having a yielding connection with the free end of the lever 58 by ries at its free end an angularly turned lug 6 lprojecting through un opening in the supporting plate into position in front of the upper end of the retracting lever 4?. Each of the retracting levers is normally pressed heel; into position where these stops68 and (34 Will stand in operative engagement therewith by means of the springs 65. The gaglevers 6O arepressed out at their free ends hy the springs 66. Y I

From the description thus far it Will be apparent that the machine, when charged, is locked closet, hy the locking slides 49 which secure the covers over the two delivery slides.

llU

hen a coin of the proper size is inserted I i i u gh one of the slots l i and into the pool;- et in one of the thumb-turns, a partial rotation of such thumb-turn Will'cause the coin in its rotation to depress the detector cam 56. This Will rock the lever 58 carrying such cam and thereby cause such lever to retract the stop lug 63 from the path of the lock retracting lever 45 that is, if the insertedcoin is of the proper thickness and therefore capable of shifting lever 58 to the necessary extent. The movement thus imparted to 7 coin, there would be nothing to stopthe pin j tendency is overcome, however, by the engagement of the feeler finger 57 of the second detector leverwith the central portion of the coin, provided again that the coin is of proper thickness. If the coin is too thin at this point, or if aring' were used in. place of a 57 and hence the lug 64 would prevent. lockretracting movement of lever 45. I

It will be seen, therefore, that if the inserted coin or check is of the proper diameter and thickness, the mechanism can be operated to release the cover and permit the delivery spring to operate the delivery slide. hen this is done, the spring pawl 31 (F igures 11 and 12) snaps under the delivery slide and holds the same in projected posi tion. Also, the cover which has been opened is preferably held open as by means of a spring 67, so as to indicateata glance to an attendant thenecessity for'refilling. T he coins for operating the releasing mechanism drop into a chamber 68 formed in the front of the casing beneath'the coverplate 41. The coins canflbe releasedfrom this. chamber by an attendant having a proper key. The mechanism, which makes this possible is illustrated in Figures 2 and 10 and comprises generally a coin chute in the bottom ofthe compartment 68having a fixed wall 69 and a! relatively movable wall70, the latter serving, when extended, to close the chute against the escape ofcoins and adapted,

when retracted by means of a key such as that indicated at 71, to open the chute sufficiently to permit the coins to'fall out intothe hand of the attendant. This movable wall 70 of the coin chute isshownas carried by a slide72 locked normally by suitable tumblers 7 3 and preferably constructed so as to be retracted by the simpleinsertion of the proper key.

The insertion of the key 71 in the construction disclosed also serves to shift'the slide (Figures 11 andlQ) so as to unlock the delivery slides. This is made possible by means of a pin 7 4t projecting rearwardly from the key slide 7 2 and engaging the forked-upper end of a lever 75 which'is pivoted at 7G and which connectsat its lower end at 77 with the slide 36. Figure 12 illustrates the condition where the key has been inserted and the lever 75 has been rocked to free the stops 31 from the delivery slidesso as to permit said slides being charged with fresh articles.

-W'hen the fresh packages are thus-placed on the delivery slides and the slides'arepressed back into the casing, the covers can again be closed and locked. This is because of the fact that the slides, as they are retracted,

by the outstanding operate to shift the locking slides 49 into locking engagement with the covers through the medium of levers 78 pivoted at 79 and en aging behind thelocking slides 49 at their upper ends (Figure5) and terminating in spring arms 80 at their lower ends engaged pins 81 on'the delivery slides.

Forsupporting the machine onthe back of a theatre chair or the likeI have provided a bracket 82 suitably secured to the support and provided at its upper end with a supporting edge 83 for engagement by the hooks orlugs 84 on the back of the casing and at its lower end with a rearwardly projecting hook 85arranged to extend into the lower end of. the casing (Figure 14-) into position to be caught by a hook or lug 86 on the slide 36. Normally, the parts stand in the position shown in Figure 14 with the locking slide engaged with the bracket and the ma-' chine thereby securely locked on its supporting bracket. When, however, the key is inserted in the lock, the slidefifi is shifted over, to the position shown in Figure 12 and this; serves to clear the shoulder 86 from the shoulder 85 thereby freeing the lower end of the machine fromthe bracket and permitting the machine to be bodily lifted off ,the'bracket.

This is important where. it is. necessary to repair the machine, or in somecases, where it is desirable to substitute onemachine for another.

' i The detector cam 56 of particular utility in detecting andpreventing operation of the machine by discs of cardboard, forinstance, or OlTllElT lGltLljlVGlY soft material, said .cam in such acase compressing the cardboard rather than being moved therebyiand'thus operating the same'way as in the case of a check-or -co1n which Is too thin. The force ofthis cam also'serves to throw the spurious check of cardboard or the like backward out ofthe pocket in the thumb-knob,lsutlicient space being left back of the coin holder 5L0 to admit of this operation. The detector levers operate sequentially, the first one being actuated by the cam 56 and then, the first requirements as to the size, of the'operating check having been fulfilled, the second detector 57 operates to determine whether other requirements, as "to thickness 'at the center of the cheelnare pro1.)erly The one is thus, in a sense, indcpendent'ofthe other, but-both must be operatedto the proper degree and in 'the' order mention-ed before the machine will operate. V v V The detector 57 might in fact be terined a, washer detector becauscof the. fact that it detects washers or ringsand a special point of this detector already vbroughtout.xbut in.

a somewhat'different way, is that it is actuated through the cam detector by the washer which is being calipered or measured.

The coin is, as illustrated, preferably seated in the coin holder, vvell inward past the center 01"- the coin holder as clearly SllOWIl in Figure 4, so to be firmly held therein and so as not to protrude too therefrom.

It Will be apparent from the foregoing that the device of this invention is extremely compact for the results Which it accomplish-es and further that it is simple, durable and practicalin every re p t. While the form shown found to possess many advantages and to be desirable from a manufacturing point of view, I would have it understood that changes and modifications may be made Without departure from the true spirit and scope of the invention. I would also have it understood that the terms employed herein are used in a descriptive rather than in a limiting sense, except, however, for such limitations as may be imposed by the prior art.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In combination, a vending machine provided with a look, a pivoted trip mechanism for releasing said lock, a pivoted stop lever having a lug normally in engagement with the trip mechanism and a rotatable operating member disconnected from said trip mechanism and normally free to turn, said member being provided With a pocket to support a check of predetermined size in position to swing said lever on its pivot to initially with draw the lug from engagement With the trip mechanism and then form a driving connection between said freely turning member and the trip mechanism.

2. In combination, a vending machine provided With a lock, a pivoted trip mechanism for releasing said lock, a pivoted lever mechanism having portions engageable with saic trip mechanism for normally locking the trip mechanism and a rotatable coin holder tree oi said trip mechanism provided With an extiainal thimib-piece and having a pocket to opposite end portions of said lever and a coin holder for supporting a coin to operate the trip and to release the same from locking position. 1 p

4. In a ven ling machine, lock mechanism,

a pivoted trip lever for releasing the same,

a movable coin holder "for carrying a coin in position to engage and operate said lever, locking devices for said lever and detector mechanism for releasing said locking devices and disposed. to engage the coin carried by said coin holder.

5. Ina vending machine, lock mechanism, a mov; .ble trip for releasing the same, a movable coin holder for carrying a coin into posi tionto operate said trip, locking devices for said trip and movable gages positioned to engage the rim and central portions of a coin on the coin holder and connected to release the locking devices.

6. In a vending machine, lock mechanism and means for releasing the same comprising a rotatable coin'holder having a coin pocketopen at the rear, gages disposed adjacent said open coin pocket, a trip lever having a portion disposed in the plane of the coin holder to be thereby engaged by a coin in said pocket and locking devices for said lever controlled by the gages aforesaid.

. 7 In a vending machine, lock mechanism and means for releasing the same comprising a rotatable coin holder having a coin pocket open at the edge and arranged to-carry a coin of predetm'mined SlZQWitll its rim projecting from said pocket, a guard flange around the open side of the coin pocket, trip mechanism having aportion disposed to be operated by the projecting rim of a coin or" the predetermined size and pivoted le *ers for locking said trip mechanism,saidlevers having coin detecting means disposed Within the guard flange to be engaged by the coin Within the coin pocket. I r

8. In a' vending machine, a cover, a lock therefor, a coin actuated lever for retracting said loch, coin g devices for controlling the operation of said lever, and means for sup porting a coin to engage the gaging devices and to operate the lever.

9. A vending machine provided with a lock, a lever for retracting said lock. a. movable coin holder for carrying "a coin into position 't'o'ac-tuate said lever, locking" devices for engaging said lever and t ips tor said locking devices having elements disposedin position to be engaged by the coin on the coin holder for releasing said locking devices. k

10. of an article delivery slide andva' cover over said slide, a lock for said cover,a lever for releasing said lock. amovable coin holder for actuate said supporting a coin in position to lever, independently operating vices for engagin said lever points and trips i ing coin portions extending into ditttcrent parts of the path of movement of the coin on the coin holder. Y

11. In a vending machine, an article delivery slide, a cover over said slide, a lock said cover, means for releasing the lock com prising a coin actuated member. and a plurality of levers provided With fingers "for engagement with the coin and with locking locking deat diflerent In a vending machine, the combination 11d locking devices havleasing means.

12. In a vending machine, an article delivery slide, a cover over said slide, a lock for said cover, means for releasing the lock comprising a coin actuated member and a plurality of levers provided with gage lingers for engagementwith the coin and with locking lugs for engagement with said memher, said levers being interconnected and operative to release said member only when the coins engaged by the gage fingers thereof are of predetermined dimensions, and means for supporting. a coin in position to engage the gaging fingers and to actuate the releasing means.

13. In a vending machine, an article delivery slide, a cover over said slide, a lock for said cover, a'snpporting plate, a coin actuated trip for said lock mounted on one face of said plate and locking devices for said trip mounted .on the opposite face of the plate and provided with portions projecting through the plate for engagement with the trip and with the coin for actuating the same, and means for supporting a coin in position to engage the projecting portions and to actuate the trip.

14:. In a vending machine, an article delivery slide, a cover over said slide, a lock for said cover, a coin actuated trip for said lock, locking devices for said trip having actuating portions projecting into the path of the coin movement and a yielding connec tion between said locking devices, and means for supporting a coin in position to engage the projecting portions and to actuate the trip. I

15. In a vending machine, an article delivery slide, a cover over said slide, a lock for said cover, and coin actuated mechanism for releasing the lock and including lock operating means and yieldingly interconnected coin gaging devices controlling the operation of the same, and means for sup porting a coin in position to engage the gaging devices and to actuate the trip.

16. In a vending machine, an article delivery slide, a cover over said slide, a lock for said cover, and coin actuated mechanism for releasing the lock including a coin actuated member and coin gaging devices for locking said member, and means for supporting a coin in position to engage the gaging devices and to actuate the. trip.

17. In a vending machlne, an article delivery slide, a cover over said slide, a slide for locking said cover, a lever actuated by the article delivery slide for shifting the locking slide to its securing position and coin actuated mechanism for releasing the locking slide including a lever for shifting said locking slide and coin gaging devices controlling operation of said lever.

18'. In a vending machine, article delivery slides, covers over said slides, locking members for said covers, levers actuated by the slides forshifting the locking members to their cover securing positions-and coin actu ated mechanism for releasing the locking members including levers for shifting said locking members and coin gaging devices controlling operation of said levers.

'19. In a vending machine, the combination with check actuated means and a plurality of pivotally mounted locking devices there'- for, of a detector positioned in the path of the check and arranged to be displaced thereby, connections from said detector to one of the locking devices and a second detector arranged to engage the check after its engagement with the first detector and connected to control a second locking device and means to support a check in. position to engage the check actuated means.

20. In a vending machine, coin actuated mechanism, pivotally mounted locking devices therefor, a washer detector controlling one of said locking devices and a second detec tor device controlling another of the locking devices positioned to-be engaged by the inserted coin and arranged when actuated by said check to operate the washer detector and means to support a coin in position to engage the coin actuated mechanism.

'21. In a vending machine, an article delivery slide, a cover over said slide, a lock for said cover, and means for releasing the lock comprising a coin actuated member and a plurality of lovers in the 'pathof the coin and provided with gage fingers for engagement with said coin and with looking lugs for engagement with said member.

22. In a vendlng machine, an articledelivery sllde, a cover, a lock for sald cover, and

coin actuated mechanism for releasing thev lock and including lock operating means and yieldingly interconnecting coin engagement devices arranged. in the path of the coin and controlling the operation of said lock operating means.

- In testimony whereof Iafiix my signature.

HANS K. LORENT'ZEN. 

